Two-vehicle accident delays traffic two hours on Interstate 20

A two-vehicle accident on Interstate Highway 20 Friday left one of them flipped over, slowing down westbound traffic for about two hours.

"The van was in the left lane and the other vehicle (a Toyota Camry) was in the right lane," said State Trooper Kurt McKinney.

He said both drivers are pointing fingers, blaming the other for causing the accident, which occurred between the 604 and 605 mile marker, right past the Hallsville exit.

"She," he said of the driver in the Toyota, "said the van hit her; the man (in the van) says she hit him."

From his investigation, McKinney said, right now, it looks like the driver of the van made an unsafe lane change. If so, he said, the driver could possibly be cited.

The state trooper said the man, who was driving a company van belonging to JD Medical Supplies of Longview, was transported to a hospital in a neck brace. McKinney said he doesn't know the extent of his injuries, but noted that he appeared to be doing well when he arrived.

"He was talking and walking (around) when I got here," said McKinney.

Margaret Dixon, the driver of the Toyota, and her daughter, who was sleeping in the passenger's seat of the car when the accident occurred, didn't sustain any visible injuries, but said they were going to get checked out once they arrived to their destination.

The two were a bit shaken up by the accident.

"The van came over in our lane. It spun us around," said Ms. Dixon, sharing they were en route to Dallas from Mississippi when the accident occurred.

"I thought we were going to hit those trees," she said, looking toward the wooded area off of the highway.

They were thankful that their car ended up just sliding off to the shoulder of the road in a straight direction, facing westbound. The car sustained a scratch on the left side; additionally, the driver's side rearview mirror detached.

The two were glad to be alive, however.

"I had a very close friend in a car accident in March," said Ms. Dixon's daughter, reflecting on her friend.